They are Completely Different
by deannaG
Summary: Two new ShadowHunters vs nine year old Max on the subject of runes. Max Grows Up in the Rune Series part 17.
1. Chapter 1

_"What would a blue warlock boy know about runes?"_  
ShadowHunter idiotA in **Desperate** chapter 4

Indeed, what _**would **_a warlock boy know about runes? Unless that warlock boy is Max Lightwood-Bane.

Enjoy.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nine year old Max is doing his homework at a table in the War Room of the Institute. Aunt Clary bought him some cookies before she left on patrol. Uncle Jace and Daddy are upstairs. Poppa is coming by later after he drops off a potion in Bay Ridge.

Max isn't paying attention to the ShadowHunters around him, until he hears Sherman and Walter talking about how easy it is to confuse the _Agility_ rune with the _Courage in Combat _one. Max giggles to himself as he rips a page out of his notebook and draws both runes quickly.

He hears the two ShadowHunters get closer, and turns in his chair with the paper in his hand. He smiles at them, "Those two runes are completely different. The agility rune is kinda like a capital 'Q' and the courage in combat is more like a capital 'D'." He shows them his drawing and points as he continues, "The agility rune has more flourishes. The courage in combat rune kinda looks like Mushu from **Mulan**."

The two ShadowHunters glance at each other as they stop.

Sherman sneers, "We weren't talking to you."

Walter nods, "This is a conversation between ShadowHunters, we didn't ask for a warlock's input."

Max puts the paper on the table, "I was only being helpful."

"Does it look like we need your help?"

Max smiles, "Obviously you do, since you think the two runes look the same."

Sherman sneers, "Besides, what would a blue warlock boy know about runes?"

Max sniffs, "More than you."

Walter looks down at Max, "What are you even doing here, warlock?"

Max narrows his eyes, "My Daddy is a ShadowHunter."

Walter rolls his eyes, "Oh your 'daddy' is one of us. So what is your mommy?"

Max glares at him, "I don't need a mommy, I have a Poppa."

Sherman laughs, "I bet your daddy isn't much of a ShadowHunter, if he's with a 'poppa'."

Max's eyes narrow as he stands and walks over to Sherman. His eyes are cold as he looks at the ShadowHunter, "My Daddy is better than both of you put together."

Sherman laughs, "I doubt that."

Walter pushes Max away from his friend, "I'd kick your Daddy's ass with both hands tied behind my back."

Max snaps the fingers of both hands as he coldly stares at them, "You hurt my Daddy and I will kill you." His fingers are ablaze with magic.

Walter sneers, "Warlock, this is the Institute of _ShadowHunters_, do not threaten us."

Sherman nods, "He's right, **_you_** will be locked away for a long time."

Max is ready to open a portal when he hears, "Max, is there a problem here?"

Max sees that Daddy and Uncle Jace have walked into the War Room. Max slowly extinguishes his magic. He smiles, "No, Daddy."

Walter opens his mouth until he sees who 'Daddy' is. The Head of the Institute. He glances at Sherman and the two of them run out the War Room.

Uncle Jace asks as he watches them leave, "What did we miss?"

_**-tbc-**_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Take a look at nancyloumm or malec_4ever, do the two runes look the same?

This was Max's POV.

Chapter 2 will be Magnus' POV and the aftermath.


	2. Chapter 2

Magnus watches as Max schools two ShadowHunters on runes and respecting his father.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Magnus walks into the War Room. He looks around and sees Max talking to two ShadowHunters. He thinks their names are Stewart and William, it's hard to keep track of the current ShadowHunters since he spends little time in the Institute these days.

He sees that Max is showing them something he drew on a sheet of paper, but Magnus can't exactly see what it is. As he gets closer Magnus can see that his son is pointing to the paper as he talks. Magnus smiles to himself and thinks it has to be rune related.

Magnus stops when he hears one of the ShadowHunters tell his son, "_Besides, what would a blue warlock boy know about runes?_"

Magnus looks around, nobody seems to be paying attention to the drama unfolding.

When Max says, "_More than you_", Magnus covers his mouth so that nobody hears him laugh.

Magnus shakes his head, these must be new ShadowHunters who have no idea who they are messing with. Not only is Max, the Head's son, but his knowledge of runes is far greater than most ShadowHunters.

Magnus sniffs as William glares down at his son and coldly says, "_What are you even doing here, warlock?"_

Magnus smiles as Max glares back at William and answers, "_My Daddy is a ShadowHunter_."

He rolls his eyes when the ShadowHunter responds, "_Oh your 'daddy' is one of us. So what is your mommy?"_

Magnus again covers his mouth when Max answers, "_I don't need a mommy, I have a Poppa_."

Magnus tenses when the other ShadowHunter says, "_I bet your daddy isn't much of a ShadowHunter, if he's with a 'poppa'." _It would seem that the prejudices that Alec had to deal with before they got married are still an issue.

Magnus watches as Max stands and walks over to the ShadowHunter. Max coldly tells him, "_My Daddy is better than both of you put together_."

Magnus rolls his eyes as the ShadowHunter tells his son, "_I doubt that_."

Magnus' eyes narrow and he takes a few steps closer as the other ShadowHunter pushes his son and tells him, "_I'd kick your Daddy's ass with both hands tied behind my back_."

Magnus watches as Max brings magic to his fingertips. Threatening Alec Lightwood in front of his son never ends well. Max tells the ShadowHunter, "_You hurt my Daddy and I will kill you_."

Magnus rolls his eyes as William says, "_Warlock, this is the Institute of ShadowHunters, do not threaten us_."

Magnus shakes his head when Stewart says, "_He's right, you will be locked away for a long time_."

It's even more obvious that the two ShadowHunters have no idea who Max is.

Magnus sees Alec and Jace enter the War Room from the other side. Alec says in a calm voice, "Max, is there a problem here?"

Magnus laughs as Max extinguishes his magic and with a smile tells his father, "No, Daddy."

Magnus sees the two ShadowHunters are taken aback when the warlock child they were threatening with being locked up, is calling the Head of the Institute 'Daddy'. They back away from Max, without a word and run past Magnus as they leave the room.

Jace asks, "What did we miss?"

Magnus walks over and hugs his son, "Just Max teaching a couple of ShadowHunters not to mess with him."

Max looks at him, "You saw, Poppa?"

"Some of it."

Alec nods, "Jace, track them down and inform them, my office, nine sharp, tomorrow morning."

Jace nods, "They will be there, even if I have to drag them in myself."

Max giggles and kisses Jace's cheek, "Thanks Uncle Jace."

"You're welcome, Max."

Alec nods, "Okay, time to go home."

Magnus opens a portal. Alec, Magnus and Max say 'goodbye' to Jace then leave the War Room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After dinner, Alec and Magnus sit on the sofa. Max sits on the coffee table.

Alec nods, "Max, tell me what happened."

Max begins, "I was finishing my homework and heard Sherman and Walter talking about how similar the _Agility_ and _Courage in Combat _runes were."

Magnus interrupts, "Their names aren't Stewart and William?"

Max giggles, "No, Poppa. Sherman and Walter."

Alec nods, "Max is right."

Magnus sniffs, "All the new ShadowHunters look the same to me, continue Max."

Max giggles, "Silly Poppa."

Alec laughs, "Aside from that, the two runes look nothing alike."

"Exactly, Daddy. I drew them and tried to explain how they were different but Sherman and Walter thought they were right."

Magnus sniffs, "It's not that they thought they were right, it's that they thought they should know more about runes than a warlock."

"Exactly, Poppa. They started questioning why I was in the Institute and I told them that my Daddy's a ShadowHunter."

Alec nods, "You didn't mention that I was the Head?"

"No, Daddy. I didn't want to seem like a braggart. I figured if I just said you were a ShadowHunter, that would be good enough. But it wasn't. They started trash talking you and I wasn't dealing with that."

"Trash talking how, blueberry?"

Max looks at Magnus. His father nods, "It's okay, Max, tell him."

Max takes a deep breath, "They wanted to know who my mommy was and I said I didn't have one, I had a Poppa. They said that you couldn't be a good ShadowHunter if you were with Poppa. Then Walter said that he could kick your butt with both hands tied behind his back."

Alec smiles, "Not the smartest thing somebody could tell my son."

Max giggles, "No it isn't, Daddy. That's when I told him, if he hurt you, I was going to kill him."

Alec nods, "I saw you were powered up."

"Uh huh, I was ready to portal them to the Bronx, Daddy."

Alec laughs, "Anything else, blueberry?"

"They said something about me getting locked up for threatening ShadowHunters in the Institute, that's when you and Uncle Jace showed up."

Magnus laughs, "They really had no idea who Max is. Or who his father is."

Alec nods, "Both of them just arrived from Idris a couple of weeks ago."

"But Max is in the War Room every day, except on the weekend."

"True, obviously they didn't notice him."

Max sniffs, "I only know their names because Aunt Izzy yelled at them last week for being late for patrol."

"Izzy has said that they've been a problem since day one."

Magnus asks, "And now?"

"They need to be disciplined. Threatening my son, threatening me."

Max nods, "Nobody threatens my Daddy."

Alec leans over and kisses his forehead, "Nobody threatens my blueberry."

Magnus nods, "Two things _**I**_ won't tolerate."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, Jace walks into Alec's office with Sherman and Walter.

Alec waves at two chairs, "Sit."

They sit down as Jace stands behind Alec's chair.

Alec leans back in his chair and folds his arms, "Tell me what happened in the War Room yesterday."

Walter clears his throat, "Sir, nothing happened."

"Really?" Alec reaches for a folder and opens it, "You didn't threaten to kick my ass with both hands tied behind your back?"

Walter swallows, "I can explain."

Jace sniffs, "Explain my ass."

Alec looks back at the report, "You also threatened to lock my son away for a long time."

Sherman goes pale, "We didn't know the warlock was your kid."

"My son's name is Max. Regardless, everybody in the Institute is to be treated with respect, Shadowhunter, DownWorlder, mundane. Everybody. Do I make myself clear?"

Walter and Sherman both nod and say, "Yes, sir."

"I am relieving both of you from active duty until I feel that I can trust you not to insult, or threaten anybody else."

Jace coldly glares at Walter as he stands and leans over the desk, "And when will that be?"

Alec shrugs, "No idea."

Sherman stands, "You can't do that."

"Yes I can. Dismissed."

Jace opens the door and glares at them as they walk out the office. He closes the door, "You expecting trouble from them?"

Alec nods, "Yes, which is why I had Max and Magnus write out what happened."

Jace smirks, "The word of two new problematic ShadowHunters against the son of a Head of the Institute and a High Warlock. Not liking their chances."

Alec laughs, "I also have Izzy's reports on their behavior since they got here. Let them try to fight this."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Max is packing up his books as Alec walks into the War Room with a smile, "Ready to go, blueberry?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Any issues I should know about?"

Max giggles, "No."

"Good."

Max picks up his backpack and walks over to his father. He kisses Alec's cheek as he holds his father's hand, "Portal, Daddy?"

"Unless you want to take the subway?"

Max giggles as he shakes his head, "Poppa will be mad." He opens a portal. They leave the War Room and walk into the loft.

Max runs over to Magnus and kisses his cheek, "Hello, Poppa."

"Hello, Max."

Alec walks over, pulls Magnus close and kisses him, "Hello, Magnus."

Magnus puts his arms around his husband, "Hello, Alexander."

Max giggles as he walks into his room and drops his backpack on his bed. He returns to the living room and smiles, "You would think you haven't seen each other in months."

Magnus smiles, "I love kissing my husband."

"Dah, Poppa."

Alec laughs, "I was in a rush to get out this morning."

Magnus sniffs, "Yes, you were."

"I wanted to see Sherman before he could go to Idris and talk to his grandfather. Which is what he did after I saw them this morning."

"Oh? And are they reinstated?"

Alec shakes his head, "No, I sent all the reports to the Clave and they upheld my decision. They will be charged with threatening the Head of an Institute and de-runed tomorrow."

Max sighs, "I didn't really want them to get in trouble, Daddy."

Alec hugs Max, "All they had to do was accept your superior knowledge of runes and go about their business. They bought this upon themselves."

Magnus nods, "They escalated the situation."

"Exactly. Let me change and we can eat dinner." Alec walks into his and Magnus' bedroom. Max sets the table as Magnus walks into the kitchen.

_**the end**_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I do enjoy this new series, how about YOU, my dear reader?

Love you. xoxo


End file.
